Man jailed for rape and sexual assault in Liverpool
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A man has been jailed today, Wednesday 5 February, for the rape and sexual assault of two woman in Liverpool.
Ewan Blair, 21 years, of Brownlow Hill in Liverpool city centre, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and was sentenced to eight years in prison extended to 10 years imprisonment as a dangerous offender.
The judge put him on the Sexual Notification for life and put a restraining order in place for life.
Blair, who is originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland, was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month. He was convicted of committing seven offences – three counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, assault by penetration and oral rape.
The court heard that Blair sexual assaulted two women in their 20s within days of each other after befriending them in Liverpool city centre in September 2023. They are both being supported by specially trained officers.
Detective Sergeant Bob Sandham said: “Blair’s predatory behaviour on both women is deplorable and he then put them through the trauma of having to relive the experience by way of a trial.
“This has been an extremely lengthy and complex investigation. And while no sentence will repair the damage Blair inflicted on his victims’ I hope this conviction has secured some justice for them.
“I would like to praise the dignity the victims have shown throughout the investigation. Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”
Detective Sergeant Sandham added: “We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.
“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.
“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”
Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.
These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.
If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation and court processes.
You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.
With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.
Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
If you do not require immediate police assistance then you can report rape and sexual assault via our website here:
Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service: https://www.victimcaremerseyside.org/
Alternatively, you can report a sexual offence by calling 101 or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.
For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service https://www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe/ (www.police.uk) for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused. Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.